P:(Masking) Make the mask available in Photoshop?

[vitos62906937]

The AI for masking is brilliant. What would be nicer is if when I send an image to edit in Photoshop, it sends the mask too. After all, it's already created.

Alternatley, If I open an image in Photoshop's ACR, and I create a mask, why can't it open with the mask as a layer. It seems, again, since the mask is already created, it should be no problem, barely an inconvience.

Thank you for your consideration,

Vito S.

[Jeremy Jeremy Jeremy]

I am currently working on a photogrammetry project and need to mask 750+ photos. I saw a demonstration of the "Select Subject" masking available in Adobe Lightroom and was very impressed. Question is, can one export the mask?

In addition, I'm hoping to automate this process as much as possible. Is scripting available with Adobe Lightroom? Or will I have to make my own plug-in to achieve such a thing?

I'm hoping to:

- load in images

- apply "Select Subject" to images

- export masks for images

[GoldingD]

From another members issue, where the member applied a AI mask ( select sky in that case) from one photo to many photos, the member found that in each photo the mask had to be recomputed.

So, apparently not.

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-discussions/subject-sky-masks-need-to-be-updated-wh...

[Jeremy Jeremy Jeremy]

Fantastic, thanks for the lead.

I'm suspecting that I might have to get familiar with the automation side of Adobe Lightroom and "hack" my way to export a mask. I've found a suitable pipeline:

• Import image
• Create mask one with select subject
• Duplicate mask one to create mask two
• Invert mask two to mask the background
• Mask one (object) - over expose until completely white
• Mask two (background) - under expose until completely black
• Export the image -> convert to suitable basic black white image

The resulting black and white pattern can be used in photogrammetry and would make a lot of people very happy! Now I need to figure out how to automate such a process with Adobe Lightroom.

[John R Ellis]

"Is scripting available with Adobe Lightroom? Or will I have to make my own plug-in to achieve such a thing? I'm hoping to: - load in images; - apply "Select Subject" to images; - export masks for images"

You can download the Lightroom Classic SDK for plugins from here:

https://developer.adobe.com/console/servicesandapis 

See here for hints about getting started:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-discussions/sample-code-for-a-publish-service/m-p/7...

I've just started looking at how LR represents the Select Subject/Sky masks. Unlike the other mask types, their pixel coordinates aren't exposed through the SDK API -- they're stored in the .lrcat-data subfolder of the catalog folder as binary .dat files, and I haven't seen any information yet about their format.

So I wouldn't waste time learning the SDK until you can figure out the representation of the masks. You might find the free Show Catalog Metadata plugin helpful for examining all of the other mask settings:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jxljket1zpymase/showmetadata.1.4.zip?dl=0 

[John R Ellis]

I discovered a way to export a Sky or Subject mask as a bitmap.  Outline:

1. Create an all-white TIFF that same pixel dimensions as the photo containing the mask.

2. Use Sync Settings to copy the mask from the photo to the TIFF.

3. Use the SDK to copy the field MaskDigest from the photo's develop settings to the TIFF's settings.

4. On the TIFF, set the mask's Exposure = -4.

5. Use the Tone Curve to adjust the black level.

6. Export the TIFF.

[Conrad_C]

If it turns out to be too much of a challenge in Lightroom, will it work to do this job in Photoshop instead? Because Select Subject started in Photoshop, Photoshop has more control over masks, and Photoshop is scriptable.

[John R Ellis]

Can you give a more detailed example of why you'd like to access the Sky and Subject mask as separate layers when you open in Photoshop?  The better Adobe understands why you want a feature and how you might use it rather than just what you want, the more likely they'll consider it.

(And you do know that Photoshop has Select > Subject and Select > Sky?)

[John R Ellis]

Moderators, @Rikk Flohr: Photography, please move into Ideas.

[vitos62906937]

The new Subject/Sky masing in CR is MUCH better than the Photoshop internal versions. Plus, I can make masks in LR, make adjustments there (because it's much easier), then do any PS work with the mask already made, coming in from LR with LR edits.

As to below msg, sorry, I thought I put this in Ideas.

[steve7100G4]

Is there any way to convert an image mask created in LRC into a selection of that area for use in PS ??

It would be nice not to have to make the selection again in PS if you already have the area masked off in LRC. 

[Ian Lyons]

Unfortunately, not something that we can do at this time, but others have requested it.

[Rob_Cullen]

Not possible  as a mask on a 'standard' layer, but-

From Lr-Classic: Open in Photoshop as a Smart Object.

The Masking remains available in Photoshop (the CR UI)  if you [Double-click] the Smart Object badge on the Layer which re-opens the image in ACR- with the Masking.

[John R Ellis]

There's a roundabout way of converting a LR mask to a PS mask:

1. In PS, make a white TIFF the same pixel dimensions as the photo, and import that TIFF into LR.

2. Use the Copy Settings plugin to copy the mask from the photo to the white TIFF, using the option Original Sky And Subject Masks.

3. In the TIFF, select the mask and set the mask's Exposure = -4.

4. Use the Tone Curve to adjust the black point so the mask is mostly black:

5. Edit the photo and TIFF in PS, and copy/paste the TIFF into the layer mask of the desired layer of the photo.

That's a lot of steps, which could be mostly automated in the Copy Settings plugin. But Rob_Cullen's suggestion seems more useful.

[steve7100G4]

ok, but ACR is basically the same thing as LRC, I'd like to open the selection in PS because I need to do things I can't do in LRC. Being able to use the masked area as a selection in PS would be very helpful. 

[Rob_Cullen]

This is not what you are asking, but just my thoughts- why do you not do the masking in Photoshop, if you know you want 'masking'.?

It has the same 'Select Subject / sky' functions, and you can brush on masks to add-to or erase masks in adjustment layers.

Also Luminosity masks can be very useful as is Luminance masking in LrC.

[redwoodlover]

I often need the masks that I created in Lightroom when I edit the same photo in Photoshop. Ideally I could also create named masks in a PSD file and when daverd back to Lightroom I can use tthe masks as well. This feature , obviously would not be available with JPEGs but could be a a part of the PSD format. 

[Hansjürg]

I often need to adjust the background in a photo with a semi-transparent subject.
In LR I can mask the background with a color mask. The translucent areas inside the subject are also masked, depending on the thickness.
Unfortunately, when I export to PS, these masks are gone. Recreating the same mask in PS is a horror 🙂

[John R Ellis]

See this post for a tedious recipe for exporting the mask to PS:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-ideas/p-masking-how-do-i-make-the-mask-available-in... 

[steve7100G4]

I'm not aware of any auto-mask brush feature in PS as there is in LRC. The auto mask feature in LRC saves a lot of headaches selecting subjects or areas of subjects that are extremely tedious to do otherwise. 

[DdeGannes]

Quote, "ok, but ACR is basically the same thing as LRC, I'd like to open the selection in PS because I need to do things I can't do in LRC."

The issue is LrC and ACR, have the same editing features, however they function differently, LrC stores the edit data in the Catalog file and Camera Raw stores the edit data to the file or sidecar file. Camera Raw cannot read info from the Lightroom Catalog. You have to prompt Lightroom to write info to xmp so it is available to Camera Raw.

Lightroom is an independent application and is basically an alternate to Camera Raw which is a plug-in to Photoshop.

There is no need to utilize both Lightroom and Camera Raw.

Just some info and thoughts,

[John R Ellis]

[This post contains formatting and embedded images that don't appear in email. View the post in your Web browser.]

I released a new version of the Copy Settings plugin with the Extract Masks command, which extracts a photo's masks as grayscale images that can be used in Photoshop as layer masks:

[John R Ellis]

[This reply contains embedded images that don't appear in email. View the post in your Web browser.]

I released a new version of the Copy Settings plugin with the Extract Masks command. It extracts a photo's masks as grayscale images that can be used in Photoshop as layer masks:

[jenirose3]

YES YES and YES!  This would be an awesome add!

[DingsZüg]

I have used the AI masking tool in Lightroom. Now I want to continue working in Photoshop. When I hit "Edit in Photoshop" it is just a .tif without any masks or layers. How to trnsfer this nice AI masking thing over to photoshop?

[Rob_Cullen]

@John R Ellis discovered a way to export a Sky or Subject mask as a bitmap.

This may answer your question.

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-discussions/can-i-export-masks-from-lightroom-class...

TBMK The two Apps (LrC & Ps) use 'masks' in different ways. In LrC the masks are (virtual?) overlays that do not get 'saved' with an image. In Ps, masks are Alpha-channels.

From LrC- You could use [Open as a Smart Object in Photoshop]- Then you have a SO layer in Photoshop that by a [Double-click] on the SO badge- you have access to the masks (made with LrC) in the ACR interface. Or add more in ACR.